Tuesday

4 days

So I emailed Scott and found out that we're over $2000 short of our food minimum. We thought that we'd be able to use this for an open bar, but apparently it's ONLY for food. Now we have to add something and there's no other way we'll be able to afford an open bar. I'm rather annoyed...

I also got a text from my mom that Jos A Bank is saying there's an extra fee for the tuxes to remain there until Friday. What the hell.

Seriously, I am over all this wedding bullshit. I just want it to be here and enjoy it. UGH

I'll Have That

32 days

240 invited
151 attending
50 declined

RSVPs left: 28

Two RSVPs today from my coworker, Jen, and her boyfriend, Brandon, and my cousin, Jill, her husband, Shane, and their son, Connor.

I have a meeting with our reception coordinator, Scott, on Friday at 5:45. We're going to go over the final details.

I also emailed Scott asking what the vegetarian meal was: wild mushroom raviolis in a white wine sauce! I may have to go with a vegetarian meal...

On the Menu

109 days

Currently working on: escort card frame labels (7/7 done)

We met with Scott tonight and got the menu finalized! I can finally finish ordering the rest of the wedding stationery from Vistaprint which I'm going to do tonight! Scott is so nice and helpful; he said we were really prepared! For everything else, he asked us questions and took notes and then gave us a matching questionairre to fill out and return the week before the wedding. I can't believe how close the wedding is getting!

My mom texted me today and said she was buying our invitation stamps for us! (She ended up just transferring the money to my account so I can buy them tomorrow.) I'm going tomorrow on my lunch break from work to buy them and start addressing the invitations! Then we'll send them all out! So excited!

Here's a picture of the table menus:

Mark the Occassion

110 days

Currently working on: escort card frames titles

Our mothers' corsages came in today!! They are GORGEOUS! I am so happy that I went with these instead of real flowers: they have meaning, will last forever, and they go so well with the bouquets and boutonnieres! Here is the picture:

I also bought Shannon a new hair accessory for the wedding. The headband that I originally had was for Margaret and so I went to get a flower for Shannon. All the other bridesmaids have flowers and Shannon doesn't like headbands, so it worked out well. Here's the picture:

Matt and I are going to go through the invitations tonight to see which we will hand out to guests. I'm also planning on finishing the escort card frames! And tomorrow is our meeting at the Biltmore! So excited!

Last Single Weekend

111 days

Currently working on: escort card frame pictures (7/7 done)

My family and I had a girls day yesterday (we have them once in a while and just eat all day) and we got a lot of planning done! My mom, gram, aunts, and I got most of the shower details nailed down as well as the menu. My aunt is addicted to Pinterest (which I hooked her on) and she had some great ideas that she found on there. We picked out what we'd be eating and decided on a bunch of different cupcakes for dessert! My other aunt also said she'd do the Ring Pop favors which I'm super excited about! Two of my bridesmaids, Jess and Shannon, also got the bachelorette itinerary done as well as starting a list of items for a bachelorette scavenger hunt! I'm so happy that we got so much done! Everyone is really spoiling me with these things.

Once Shannon and I got home, we went to Nick and Ryan's apartment with Matt to hang out for a while. They had started to plan Matt's bachelor party (for the same weekend as my bachelorette) and Nick told me a little of what they have planned so far: one of the local strip clubs (one of the nicer ones Providence has to offer) on the first night and then staying in a hotel near Foxwoods and gambling the next day. I'm really excited that they're starting planning!

Matt and I have decided to go through the invitations and give some of them out in person to save on postage (mostly people we work with and our wedding party that lives around here). I don't know if it's tacky, but it'll save a little money. However, they're still required to send the RSVP in the mail since they are stamped!

Tuesday we are going to meet with Scott and finalize our menu! I'm going to order the table menus that night as well as invitations for my parents' 25th anniversary party this July! So exciting!

Over the Moon

116 days

Currently working on: escort card frames (5/7 done)

Matt and I booked the honeymoon!! We are going to Sandals Grande Riviera in Jamaica for a week, starting the day after the wedding! We are also spending the following Sunday night in Miami before our departing flight back to reality here in Rhode Island. I am SO excited to have this finalized and one more thing checked off our list!

I ALSO received ALL of the brooches for Juliana's bouquet and all but one for Cristina's! Because we were so focused on the honeymoon, though, I'm going to put off finishing Jules' until tomorrow night.

I also rescheduled our menu finalizing to next Tuesday night because Matt's working on that Wednesday. I can't wait to check another thing off our list!

I Was Framed!

119 days

Currently working on: ceremony programs (100/200 done)

We got the frames that I ordered for the escort cards in! The family one is really nice...and really big. The four that I ordered for the smaller groups are a bit of a pain to get the pictures into, but it'll be okay once they're all done.

I started wrapping ribbons on the menus for the reception. I had bought the ribbon that said "Eat, Drink, & Be Married" and it looks great! I'll post pictures later, once the menus are completely done.

Matt and I are going on the last day of February (the 29th) to finalize the menu and probably discuss other details such as seating and such. I'm really excited!

I have my siblings for the weekend, so that's it for the post for now.

The Final Insert

124 days

Currently working on: ceremony programs (100/200 done)

I forgot to mention the other day, that another person bought a gift off of our registry! We're getting a set of our dishes from Corelle! I'll post a picture of them as well as our flatware!

Corelle Scribble Lines

Gourmet Settings Non Stop

I'm also ordering out menu inserts for the wedding! I'm waiting on the menus for the table because I want to finalize the whole menu with the Biltmore. The inserts, though, will only have the two meal options which we've chosen. I'm so excited that I'll be able to completely finish the invitations! Then we'll buy stamps and send them out!

I forgot to mention that I ordered some of the frames for the escort card display from Walmart! I got the one for the family and the four (they were a package) for Matt and my work friends, my high school friends, and dance friends.

Tasty, Tasty

Currently working on: ceremony programs (100/200 done)

The tasting was amazing! They had so much food and it was all so delicious! It's kind of sad that we have to choose between all the options, but it has to be done. Matt and I have pretty much decided which options we want. I'm going to email Scott tomorrow about finalizing the menu so we can order everything connected to that.

We also got to see our room for the wedding night! It is beautiful! Huge bed and a couch, a bathroom with a separate shower and tub. It just stinks that we're only spending one night in it.

A Pocketful

125 days

Currently working on: pocketfolds (130/130 done)
                                    ceremony programs (100/200 done)

I FINISHED THE POCKETFOLDS! I am so incredibly excited to have that tedious task over and done with! The best part is that all I need to do to finish the invitations is insert the menu once we order them!

Speaking of menus, our tasting is tonight! Matt, his mom and sister, my parents, and I are going to the Biltmore to taste all their amazing food! Hopefully we'll make the final decisions tonight, as well, so that I can order the menus for the invitations and tables.

And speaking of table menus, I am going to work on those later as well, since I bought white ribbon that says "Eat, Drink, & Be Married". I was originally going to use it for the invitations, but I didn't get enough and I think it's too thick, so I figured I'd use it around the binding of the menus.

I'm going to shower and eat a small lunch and then work on the programs. I'll be sure to post later about how the tasting was!

The Venue, the Brooch, and the Dress

187 days

I got an invitation in the mail today from the Biltmore for the menu sampling! It's on February 12 from 4 to 7 and we get to sample the menu possibilities and then choose our own menu for the wedding! I'm so excited and it's making the wedding seem that much more real...and closer!!

I FINALLY got the purple brooch that I ordered weeks ago. It's pretty and I only need one more to finish Hannah's bouquet!!

I also found a dress for our after party that I really like! I think I'm going to get it instead of the one from ModCloth. (That one's out of stock and this one is also cheaper.)

Be Our Guest

We have decided on a new idea for our menus! Originally, we wanted one for each place setting, but that would have been a little expensive and it's cleaner just to have one per table. So we were going to put it on a tented piece of cardstock, but since it's so tall it would have to be a weird sized menu. So instead we're going to make a menu booklet for each table!

We're going to buy black metallic cardstock that we'll fold in half to make a booklet. The menu will be glued to one side and a reminder to sign the guest book on the other. We're ordering stickers from Vistaprint for the front and back as well as some silver elastic cord to go around the fold. I can't wait to start making them, but we have to choose our menu first in February.

We've also decided on what to do for our invitations pocketfolds! Instead of pocketfolds, we're going to buy silver cardstock and fold it in half. We'll use black photo corners to hold the invitations, RSVP, accomodation, and reception cards. I ordered the invitations already, so I'll be able to start working on these once I order the cardstock and other supplies.

Yummy

When we booked the Biltmore, the catering manager there (they have onsite catering) gave us a list of their menu options. First, we decided that we wanted to do a plated dinner rather than stations or a buffet, especially because they provide a huge flambé presentation with a plated dinner. Second, after looking it over, we narrowed down the options (see the list below). However, we won't make our final decisions until after the tasting that the Biltmore hosts in February.

Cocktail Hour (6 of the following)

• Natural scallops roasted in crisp bacon
• Coconut chicken with lemon grass plum sauce
• Wild mushroom phyllo cups with white truffle oil
• Mushroom, caramelized onion, and goat cheese thin crust pizza
• Crispy spring rolls with duck sauce
• Southern whiskey pork on sweet potato gaufrette
• Blue cheese and pear filo star
• Rosemary lamb chops
• Chilled jumbo shrimp cocktail with Citron Bloody Mary cocktail sauce
• Crabmeat stuffed mushrooms
• Maine crab cakes with smoked bacon and minced boiled egg easter tartar sauce

Starters (2 of the following)

• Rhode Island lobster chowder
• Wild mushroom bisque with truffle oil
• The Biltmore Caesar: fresh romaine hearts with garlic and romano croutons
• Mixed baby greens with praline pecans, blue cheese crumble, mandarin oranges, and raspberry vinaigarette dressing

Entrées (2 of the following)

• Grilled petit filet with roasted or stuffed shrimp with a porcini mushroom demi glaze
• Classic chicken francaise with grilled shrimp, tarragon, and lemon sauce
• Mixed Grill: sliced roasted sirloin, crab stuffed shrimp, and chicken fiore
• Pan seared salmon filet with a roasted tomato beurre blanc or a honey soyglaze
• Wild mushroom ravioli with sautéed roasted spinach, tomato, and white wine sauce

Sides (1 starch and 1 vegetable of  the following)

• Roasted garlic and parmesan mashed potatoes
• Vanilla-scented whipped sweet potatoes
• Seasonal vegetables

Dessert (1 of the following flambé flavors)

• Strawberry
• Mixed berry
• Cherry